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"A Man Named Dave", 2008.
A personal reaction to the book, "A Man Named Dave," written by Dave Pelzer.
1,426 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 77.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the two main reactions that the writer of the paper had after working through "A Man Named Dave," written by Dave Pelzer. The paper describes events that happened in the writer's life that he was reminded of when reading "A Man Named Dave." The paper also briefly touches on the possible relationship between special education needs and abused children.
From the Paper
"One day we were playing a game of "horse" on a playground about two blocks from Billy's house. I didn't know that his dad had told him he could not leave the yard, but in this case he had tagged along with his big brother and was watching all of us shoot baskets, and it seemed real innocent. Billy wanted to be like us; he loved sports, and though he wasn't very good, he tried real hard. He had physical and emotional limitations, I could tell. We were having fun - until Billy's dad pulled up in his black SUV on the street next to the playground. We knew that car. And we all new how violent the dad was. His dad left the car running, got out, and opened the back door. We stopped shooting baskets and watched his dad pull a very wide belt out of the back seat. It looked like one of those old fashioned belts that barber shops used to sharpen their razors. If you've ever been in an old-fashioned barbershop you know the kind."
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"Nosferatu" and "Dracula", 2008.
A comparison of the films of "Dracula," based on Bram Stoker's novel and the 1992 film "Nosferatu," produced by German filmmaker F. W. Murnau.
2,983 words (approx. 11.9 pages), 6 sources, MLA, AU$ 143.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses Bram Stoker's horror novel, "Dracula." It describes the plot of the novel and its characters. The paper then looks at the play of "Dracula" that was produced on stage by Hamilton Dean and John Balderston and discusses its plot. It then discusses the 1931 film version of the novel. The paper finally analyzes the 1922 silent production entitled "Nosferatu," produced by German filmmaker F. W. Murnau and compares it to the films of "Dracula."
Table of Contents:
The Novel and the Play
The Plot
Dracula 1931
Nosferatu
Nosferatu and German Expressionism
From the Paper
"Expressionism focused and emphasized the subjective over the objective (Haney 2005). Its goal was to elicit the strongest possible emotional response. Nosferatu is not only the story of a vampire. It is also the story of plague and pestilence, of evil and greed, and of inequality and sexless marriage. It delved into sexual repression and revealed the vampires out of people in the state of the German soul after World War I in Germany. Bram Stoker's novel was a peek into the subconscious. Murnau brought it out and expressed it in the form of a film. He firmly drew from that awareness that everything present contains meaning and significance. The time of its production and other elements combined to make it an Expressionist film. Though not a completely traditional representation of Expressionism, Murnau made the film unique as compared with other films of its time. The most significant element is location filming, which gave it a strong realistic character. His talent puts his horrific dream teetering at the edge of reality. He meticulously chose the elements of his film and blended them carefully into a whole and single expression of a message (Haney)."
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"A Gathering of Old Men.", 2008.
An overview of the book "A Gathering of Old Men", by Ernest J. Gaines.
1,477 words (approx. 5.9 pages), 2 sources, APA, AU$ 78.95
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Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the novel "A Gathering of Old Men" by Ernest J. Gaines. Specifically it describes and assesses how the novel depicts the culture that it is portraying. "A Gathering of Old Men" indicates that even in the relatively modern South, hatred and old ideas still exist. Slavery may have ended in the 19th century, but the residual effects of that institution still follow blacks and whites in the South. The historical context of this moving book illustrates that quite clearly.
From the Paper
"Ernest J. Gaines was born on January 15, 1933 on the River Lake Plantation in Louisiana. He worked in the cane fields of the plantation when he was a child, and the setting offers the background for much of his fiction. He says, "Though the places in my stories and novels are imaginary ones, they are based pretty much on the place where I grew up and the surrounding areas where I worked, went to school, and traveled as a child. My characters speak the way people speak in that area" (Bauer). He has written numerous novels and short stories, and almost all of them tell the emotional stories of black people struggling to live in a largely white world, just like this one. He has won numerous awards and recognition for his novels, including a National Endowment for the Arts grant, a Guggenheim fellow, and a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation fellow (Bauer). He is a professor of English in Lafayette, Louisiana, and he continues to write compelling tales about black life and social issues in his home state."
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| Essay # 106945 |
temporarily unavailable
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War in Literature, 2008.
A comparison of the style and perspectives on war that are portrayed in Tim O'Brien's short story, "The Things They Carried" and Yusef Komunyakaa's poem, "Facing It."
774 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, AU$ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the ways that war is portrayed in literature. It specifically discusses and compares two literary pieces that reflect the heavy weight of war - Tim O'Brien's short story, "The Things They Carried" and Yusef Komunyakaa's poem, "Facing It." The paper looks at the different perspectives of the writer's and discusses how they convey the emotional strain of war through powerful imagery, tone, theme and point of view.
From the Paper
"In "Facing It," the poet's point of view is serious and nervous with a somber tone. He does not want to cry and tells himself he is made of stone like the wall. When he sees objects reflected in the wall, he is temporarily taken aback and must take a moment to gather himself. For example, when he sees the woman "trying to erase names" (30), he understands that he is catching a reflection of a woman brushing a boys hair. The images blur, representing the blur between the past and the present. In "The Things They Carried," the point of view is from a disillusioned soldier. We read that the soldiers "had no sense of strategy or mission. They searched the villages without knowing what to look for, not caring . . . (15). Here we see that the men feel lost even though they may know exactly where they are. They have no sense of belonging because war has removed any sense of security from them."
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Herman Melville's "Billy Bud, Sailor", 2008.
A persuasive essay on the novel "Billy Budd, Sailor" by Herman Melville.
1,295 words (approx. 5.2 pages), 4 sources, APA, AU$ 70.95
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Abstract
The paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the novel "Billy Budd, Sailor" by Herman Melville. Specifically it contains a persuasive essay regarding sacrifice and the possibility of redemption in the novel. The paper states that in the novel, Billy dies as a result of miscommunication, hatred, and lies, yet, he accepts his fate and sacrifices his life for the rest of the crew. The paper relates that civilization should not require sacrifice, but for the sake of peace and freedom, most often, civilization does require sacrifice by one or many to remain free of anarchy and chaos. The paper concludes that the author questions what this says about our civilization.
From the Paper
"He compares other characters to ferrets, horses, and other creatures, and he does this again to separate the characters and indicate Billy's innocence and Claggart's evil. As noted, this also indicates just how closely aligned the characters are to the animal world, a world where the fittest survive, and chaos ensues if there is not order and dominance. Clearly, this applies to life on the ship, as well, and so, the society on board ship is somewhat animal-like and inhuman, which is why society demands for the execution of Billy. He is far too innocent and good to survive in this alien world, and Claggart, the most evil of all the characters, understands this far too well. "
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| Essay # 106910 |
temporarily unavailable
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William Blake and "The Tyger", 2008.
A short biography of William Blake's life and an analysis of his poem "The Tyger."
1,343 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 73.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the Romantic poet William Blake and one of his most famous poems, "The Tyger." The writer explains how Blake's artistic talent led to him becoming an engraver, and how his technique of stereotype printing enabled him to produce his books himself. In analyzing "The Tyger," from Blake's "Songs of Innocence and Experience," the writer notes that it is necessary to keep its companion poem, "The Lamb," in mind as well. "The Tyger" is a poem of many levels and more questions than answers, and the writer finds that its scope is enormous because it makes its readers think of life, the world, God, nature, the universe, and themselves all at once. This intensity and immensity is characteristic of Romantic poetry.
From the Paper
"Blake's poetry is strong and confrontational - he is a poet that makes us want to think about things. He especially wanted us to think about God and what we thought him to be. His poems of innocence and experience provide two sides of God and man to us and leave us with plenty of food for thought. "The Tyger" is one of Blake's most celebrated poems because it forces us to consider the greatness of God along with his fierceness. The poem is successful because it makes us think about the questions without providing a clear-cut answer."
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"The Catcher in the Rye", 2008.
An analysis of the theme of innocence in J. D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye".
770 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how J. D. Salinger's novel, "The Catcher in the Rye", demonstrates the difficulty of growing up. It looks at how Holden's character evolves throughout the novel and how, by the end he realizes that innocence is a nice thing that does not last forever and regardless of how one tries to avoid the reality of the world, one must eventually face it. It also discusses how Salinger is successful about presenting the life and thoughts of a troubled teenager crossing from youth into adulthood.
From the Paper
"Holden is a cynic, and a very young one at that. He does not have much faith in the world and thinks that the grown-up world (i.e., the real world) is phony. Like many young adults, he believes he has the world figured out and wants no part of it. Holden has a difficult time with certain truths about life, as demonstrated through his emotional breakdown mentioned at the beginning and the end of the novel. "
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Steinbeck's "Chrysanthemums", 2008.
A discussion on the completely divergent views of the physical and emotional world that Steinbeck masterfully explodes in "Chrysanthemums."
938 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 3 sources, MLA, AU$ 54.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses John Steinbeck's writings and refers to the fact that he has always infused his work with the issue of gender and tends to blend the men and women into a general view of humanity that is purposefully meant to see the "us" in the relationship between the two sides of the same coin. The paper states that this is the case with the two primary characters in his short story, "Chrysanthemums" and concludes that, in this story, Steinbeck is not only telling us that men and women are different, but he's illustrating that fact in an exceptionally small and effective context.
From the Paper
"Henry represents a "typical" man, one whom Elisa must "set herself for". In their relationship, Henry is woefully ignorant and uncomprehending of his wife's archetypal feminine interaction with the world. Where he sees form and function, she sees beauty and spirituality. Nowhere in the story does this receive more attention than in the entire discourse over the flowers. Henry refers to them in terms of size and shape, emphasizing that his understanding of the natural world is directly connected to his job in which manipulation of nature and the total control over the natural order is the goal. For Elisa, building a relationship with nature, appreciating not only the beauty but all of the various aspects (both pleasant and unpleasant) of the flowers as a whole. We can understand that, for her, the connection of humanity to nature is one of mutual respect, of accepting things as they are, of communicating with nature as a caretaker. If we then, as the author wants us to do, take this relationship with nature and juxtapose it upon the relationship between man and woman within the context of the story, we can see how simply and fundamentally different men and women are. While they live in the same house, live off the same money, and function within the same society, these two people fail utterly to connect with each other because they do not share a common emotional language."
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Herman Melville's "Billy Budd", 2008.
Looks at the transcendental core of Herman Melville's novella "Billy Budd".
1,995 words (approx. 8.0 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 102.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the plot of Herman Melville's "Billy Budd" revolves around the central axis of the war between good and evil by using Biblical and mythical allusions. The author relates that, although Billy Budd seems to be the innocent character, from a religious point of view he becomes guilty after committing an involuntary crime. The paper concludes that the central message of the story is that natural innocence is to be preferred instead of moral truth.
From the Paper
"The character of Billy Budd is drafted on an opposition between the natural and the religious truth. He is at once portrayed as a noble savage, with a natural charm and a baffling innocence. Billy attracts everyone through his natural and pure character, but at the same time, he inspires some of the others with sinful feelings of either desire or envy. His shipmates and the captain also are irresistibly drawn towards Billy as to something incredibly pure and innocent. His beauty also emphasizes the idea that he represents natural perfection. He represents nature in its pristine form, untouched by the usual tinges of civilization. In shape, he seems to be descended from the "unadulterated blood of Ham", an ideal representation of nature and savageness, with an intensely black skin:"[He was] so intensely black that he must needs have been a native African of the unadulterated blood of Ham. A symmetric figure much above the average height."(Melville, 2) His shipmates swarm around him, attracted irresistibly by his natural virtue and sweetness: "Not that he preached to them or said or did anything in particular; but a virtue went out of him
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Sociological Concepts in Literature, 2008.
Examines five literary sources to explore the sociological concepts of transculturation and hybridity, orientalism and cultural translation.
1,595 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 5 sources, MLA, AU$ 85.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that postcolonial literature, such as Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children", deals with transculturation and the incredible and complicated processes, which lead to hybridity of the colonizing and the colonized cultures. The author points out that Arundhati Roy's "The God of Small Things" and Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Books" both represent the deeply rooted differences between the cultures of the West and the East. The paper also looks at Brian Friel's "Translations", Tsitsi Dangarembga's "Nervous Conditions" and Achmat Dangor's "Bitter Fruit" to illustrate that cultural translation is a potent metaphor for the way in which one civilization may try to interpret another through its own terms.
Table of Contents:
Transculturation and Hybridity: Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children"
Orientalism: Arundhati Roy's "The God of Small Things" and Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Books"
Cultural Translation
From the Paper
"Not accidentally, in "Midnight's Children", Saleem revises his own ancestry along with the historical past. The stories of his grandfather Aziz, a young doctor who is educated in Britain and thus already a hybrid himself, are very relevant at this point. Thus, his love story with Naseem is very interesting because it tokens the conflicting cultural attitudes between the Indian and the British cultures. While the Western civilization requires and allows a thorough physical examination of the body before establishing a diagnosis in case of an illness, the Oriental culture denies the propriety of this direct contact between a young man and a young woman outside marriage."
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Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography, 2008.
An analysis of Mark Mathabane's book "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography", specifically focusing on apartheid in South Africa and the appalling prejudice and segregation between blacks and whites under the regime.
938 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, AU$ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper introduces, discusses, and analyzes the book "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane. Mathabane's book allows the reader to enter the South African world of apartheid and understand more about the system as it worked in South African life. Apartheid, a system of separation and segregation between blacks and whites existed in South Africa until 1994, and it drove a wedge between the people, the country, and its relationship with the world. This paper discusses how the book shows the deep wedge between races, and how much blacks suffered under the system. Furthermore, it looks at how Mathabane's story makes the time of apartheid real to the reader, and shows how prejudice and hatred can tear a people and a country apart. It also discusses that even with apartheid and racism, the author still deeply loves his home country.
From the Paper
"As the book continues, it is difficult to believe some of the atrocities and outrages were allowed to continue as long as they did. The whites oppressed the blacks and other minorities so completely, it was difficult for them to even survive. For example, Mathabane's father is arrested simply for being unemployed, one of the 'worst' offenses a black man could commit in South Africa. Some of the situations would be laughable, if they were not so real, and many of them are remarkable. Blacks are not allowed to own houses, and the government can tear down their ghetto on a whim, leaving entire families homeless and desperate. Yet, the whites, who enjoy an incredibly high standard of living, do nothing to ease the tensions and inequalities in their country. It is as if there are two separate countries, united only by the name, 'South Africa,' and the as the book continues, it draws the reader in, until they feel as if they are a part of the fight for freedom. It also makes them feel outrage that such atrocities were allowed to continue for so very long."
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Literature: Women inside the Patriarchal Society, 2008.
Compares the depiction of the life of women inside the patriarchal society in Rebecca Harding Davis' 'Life in the Iron Mills" and William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily".
895 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 4 sources, MLA, AU$ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the female protagonists in Rebecca Harding Davis' 'Life in the Iron Mills" and Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" are very different. However, the two women are markedly the prisoners of the patriarchal society that has caught them in its net. The author points out that both women focus all their energy on their male companions, being almost obsessively preoccupied with them. The paper describes both stories.
From the Paper
""Life in the Iron Mills" is the somber story of the grey, empty life of a worker in the iron mills, Hugh Wolfe. In the midst of his brutish life, he has an artistic vision: he is able to model figurines out of the waste materials left at the mill. His aspirations are thwarted nevertheless, and he dies in utter misery. His fate obviously symbolizes the terrible destiny of the working-class people, who had no perspectives outside a barren, instinctual life. The secondary character of this story, Deborah, who is Hugh's cousin, is however an even more interesting figure which perfect the realistic picture drawn by Davis."
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"The Death of Ivan Ilych", 2008.
A psychoanalytic review of Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych".
1,247 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 3 sources, MLA, AU$ 68.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych", by integrating the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan in order to examine the development and indeed demise of the main character. It looks at how Ivan develops from a young person with very idealistic, if somewhat mundane ambitions, to a disillusioned and emaciated man on his death bed. The paper further discusses how Ilych's condition of ego-idealism and narcissism was to a great extent to blamed upon both his society and his childhood and how tragically, he appears to have left this legacy to his children as well.
From the Paper
"Many of Freud's theories have been popularized by today's cultures in terms such as repression, libido, superego, fetishism, and others. Felluga however warns that such terms should not be taken at the often shallow interpretations presented today, but that they should be investigated in terms of Freud's original meanings. Particularly applicable to Tolstoy's main character in The Death of Ivan Ilych are Freud's concepts of repression and superego. Lacan built upon Freud's work to create his theory of the subconscious, and also to create new terms such as the natural or essential reasons for psychic processes. Of use here are instincts and ideology."
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Identity and Myth in "The Odyssey", 2008.
An exploration of the problem of identity and the role of mythology in Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey."
2,967 words (approx. 11.9 pages), 6 sources, MLA, AU$ 141.95
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Abstract
This paper explores selected themes in Homer's Odyssey. The writer analyzes the use of disguise in the story to conceal identity, and how Penelope finally identifies Odysseus as her husband in spite of his disguise. The writer examines the role of Athena, who also changes her identity repeatedly, as the mythical power behind Odysseus, and the one who transforms him into an old beggar before his return to Ithaca. The writer discusses the paradoxes that arise from concealing and from changing identities in the story, and concludes that, whether disguised or not, Odysseus is always a powerful presence throughout the story.
Outline
ONE: Among the Most Important Scenes in The Odyssey: Penelope and Odysseus
TWO: Theories of Myth and The Odyssey
THREE: Ways in Which Identity is an Important Theme in The Odyssey
From the Paper
"This story has within it a lot of imagery and straightforward references about the identity of people, and their changing identities affect the theme of the story. Homer is writing about characters and their identity all though the story; some characters change their identity, some even hide their identity, and it seems as if the symbol of those confusing changes of identity comes down to the poet looking at a common human problem."
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